Defamation case against author

Chennai: The Madras High Court on Friday set aside an order of the Regional Passport Authority here impounding the passport of Leena Manimekalai, author, lyricist and filmmaker. Justice M Dhandapani, who quashed the September 9 order this year, however, directed Manimekalai to appear before a lower court, where a defamation case was pending against her and co-operate to complete the trial.

A private complaint under CrPC section 200 was lodged by Tamil film director Susi Ganeshan against Manimekalai before the IX Metropolitan Magistrate in Saidapet alleging that her posts in the social media against him during the “Me too” movement in 2019, had tarnished his image in the eyes of the general public and, thereby, she had committed an offence of defamation under IPC section 500.

Justice Dhandapani was allowing a writ petition from Manimekalai and dismissing a criminal original petition from Ganeshan, who got impleaded in the case to oppose grant of any relief to her, today. The judge observed that the action of the passport authority in impounding Manimekalai’s passport revealed there was nonapplication of mind to the provisions of law relating to Passport Act. No proper reasoning had been given in the said order to establish the need for impounding the passport. “In such a scenario, this court is of the considered view that the impugned order passed by the passport authority deserves to be set aside,” the judge said and quashed it. The court also observed the act of the passport authority appears to be very strange. Yet, for an offence alleged to have been committed under IPC section 500, that too on a private complaint, the passport, without any rhyme or reason and after a lapse of four years from the date of issuance of passport, had been cancelled, which act does not augue well with this Court. -(PTI)